Virginia governor race 2013: Marco Rubio stumps for Ken Cuccinelli

RICHMOND, Va. — Praising Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli’s crusade against Obamacare in the courts, Marco Rubio said Monday that the outcome of the Virginia governor’s race will send an important message to the rest of the nation.

“This is a precursor for what’s going to happen in 2014 and what’s going to happen after that in 2016,” the Republican Florida senator told 500 donors who each paid $50 to attend a luncheon at the Marriott a few blocks from the state Capitol. “We can’t wait until 2016 to start the work. We’ve got to start now. We’ve got to start in Virginia.”

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Why Cuccinelli is losing in Va.

The likely presidential candidate is the first of several high-profile surrogates who will appear with Cuccinelli in the final 50 days of a contest that has trended away from him.

Trying to galvanize the conservative base and capitalize on President Barack Obama’s slipping approval rating among independents, Cuccinelli plans to aggressively message around both the official Oct. 1 start date of the federal health care exchanges and new rules expected this week from the Environmental Protection Agency that his supporters say amount to a “war on coal.”

Cuccinelli, who rose to national prominence because of his close affiliation with the tea party movement, recalled Monday that he was the first attorney general to challenge the constitutionality of the federal health care law in court. The Republican candidate noted that he did so on the anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech — down the street from where the Founding Father and long-ago Virginia governor delivered it.

Cuccinelli contrasted himself with Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who said over the summer he would be willing to shut down the state government if Republicans sent him a budget that does not include an expansion of Medicaid.

“It’s worth remembering that he didn’t think Obamacare went far enough,” Cuccinelli said. “As governor, I’ll stop as much of that as I can.”

Cuccinelli hinted in his speech that many Republicans will say they should have nominated someone less conservative if he loses, and he talked up the national implications of his contest.

“Everyone is looking to see how Republicans respond after 2012,” he said. “Are we going to curl up in a little ball and give up or are we going to fight back? Are we going to push back? Are we going to bring forward a set of ideas to compete with bigger government?”

“If we win this race, we can prove that in a purple state, a conservative candidate who sticks to first principles and articulates a positive vision … can still win in the commonwealth of Virginia,” he added. “And all Americans will get that message.”

Rubio argued during his 24-minute speech that the contest has “dramatic implications for the future of our country.”

“This is a race that allows us to make a statement to the country that Americans are not prepared to give up on the American dream,” he said.

Rubio heaped praise on Cuccinelli’s battle against the health law.

“Obamacare’s not just a theoretical debate anymore; it is hurting real people,” he said. “There are people out there who are looking for a job who will not find one.”

The off-year races in Virginia and New Jersey often turn more on national events than other gubernatorial contests because they are seen as early warning signs for the midterms that follow the next year.

This historically benefits whoever is out of power. In every Virginia governor’s race since 1976, the party of the presidential election winner has lost the governor’s race a year later. Obama carried Virginia in 2008 by 6 percentage points. Twelve months later, McDonnell won by 17 points.

McDonnell is now embroiled in the Star Scientific scandal and under investigation by federal authorities, so he has become a liability for the GOP ticket and Cuccinelli has kept him at arm’s length. This makes other GOP surrogates more important in the homestretch.

On Tuesday in the D.C. suburb of Sterling, Cuccinelli will rally with conservative radio host Mark Levin, whose latest book “The Liberty Amendments” is currently No. 2 on the New York Times best-sellers list.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will headline a fundraiser for Cuccinelli later that evening.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has agreed to appear at an event before the election, campaign officials said. And they are in talks with freshman Sen. Ted Cruz about tacking on a campaign event to an already-scheduled appearance he’s making in Virginia.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is not locked down but has expressed interest in coming.

McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has already appeared with first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Hillary Clinton will hold a fundraiser for him at her home on Sept. 30, and both she and former President Bill Clinton are expected to stump with McAuliffe in October.

There are risks to a candidate tying himself too closely to darlings of the right in a state as purple as Virginia. Immigration did not come up at the fundraiser, for example, but Cuccinelli has said he opposes amnesty in the past and does not take a position on the comprehensive Senate bill spearheaded by Rubio.

Democrats argue that Cuccinelli is desperately trying to shore up his base at a stage of the race he should be focused on moderates. The McAuliffe campaign attacked Cuccinelli’s “extreme record on Latino issues” in a statement after the Rubio event ended.

The Navy Yard shooting in Washington overshadowed the appearance with Rubio, keeping several television crews who RSVP’d from coming down to cover it. Cuccinelli requested prayer and a moment of silence for the victims.